Uneventful Return
by KiraHatesDresses
Summary: /YohxAnna/ Anna's parents return, seeking another chance of reunion and forgiveness. To understand her parents' story and reason of their departure, Anna must relive her painful past that she buried away long ago. But this time, she's not alone.
1. Konnichiwa, Anna

**Disclaimer:** Shaman King, as you all know is owned by Hiroyuki Takei… and as usual we praise and worship him.

**Author Notes:** This was an idea ringing in my head while back before… I hope I can write it as well as my mind imagines it. I can't say that this is a complete Yoh and Anna fic… I mean there IS Yoh and Anna… but the story focuses more on Anna's past. But don't worry… there are a lot of Yoh/Anna scenes to hopefully… please you. 

**Warnings:** Out Of Character

**Summary: **The parents of Kyouyama Anna returns, seeking another chance of reunion and forgiveness. To understand her parents' story and reason of their departure, Anna must relive her painful past that she buried within her heart long ago. But this time, she's not alone. [Slight Yoh/Anna]

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** Uneventful Return **

**~~~**

The sun's rays shone brightly, slipping through the windows of my room. I could feel the heat pounding on my eyelids, forcing them to open into the start of a new day. Not wanting to wake up for another while, I turned to my side. It's a Sunday, for crying out loud!! No sun is going to wake me up today… __

Wrong. 

Though my eyes were turned away from the rays, the sun decided to warm up my whole body instead. I pulled up the blankets resting around my waist and used them to cover the rest of my body from the top, hoping that the sun's rays would bounce off or just stop right there.  

Another mistake. 

The wonderful carriers of light and heat were picking a fight... I swear… Heating my whole body from head down with immense heat greater than before. I bet the sun knew I would go for the blanket -- They were both conspiring with one another to barbecue me. And to think, this early in the morning too! 

Realizing that my sleep could no longer continue under the grilling sun, I opened my eyes and rose slowly to my feet. Someone was here… More precisely, they were behind the door… And I didn't have to think twice to know who that someone was. 

I slid the door open without much effort, finding a shocked Yoh staring at me. 

"G-Good morning…" he sheepishly grinned. It was obvious that he was standing there for quite sometime now. "…I wasn't sure… whether or not to come in."

"Is breakfast ready?" I asked, already heading downstairs towards the kitchen to examine it for myself.

He nodded as he followed me down the stairs. 

When we arrived in the kitchen I suppose I was a little surprised that Yoh actually managed to get up and well... make breakfast instead of dishing out yesterday's leftovers. He does have a major tendency of doing that lately. I haven't spoken to him of it, seeing how he does seem to make the leftovers as fresh as if he just cooked it. I'll give him points for that. 

I sat down in front of a plate covered in scrambled eggs, bacon and waffles. A glass of orange juice sat just ahead of it. The appearance… seems edible. I felt Yoh's gaze directed at me, waiting for a hopeful approval. I reached for the fork and dug it into one of the pieces of the bacon. Now for the cutting process... Oh yay… It CAN be cut apart this time. Hesitantly, I brought it to my mouth, honesty not sure what to expect. Yoh's cooking can be as unpredictable as the weather sometimes… Scratch that-- make that all the time.

Like now… the bacon that I was chewing… was absolutely delicious. I didn't let him know that though. Yoh was fidgeting in his seat, not sure what he should do or say. He sat quietly across from me and twiddled his thumbs in silence. He was kinda cute when he squirmed. 

"You pass," I said after I swallowed the piece of meat and washed it down with a sip of juice. His face sighed contently in relief. He picked up his fork and knife and began to devour the breakfast before him. Sometimes I wonder how much guts he has to eat the food he cooks, much less than have me eat it and determine that small potentially life-threatening detail. 

After breakfast, I went back upstairs to my room and changed into my usual attire. I came back down to make sure Yoh wasn't avoiding his cleaning duties. Dressed in an apron and a chef's hat, there he was -- washing the dishes as he hummed a BOB song. 

I'll admit it… he was cute… too cute. I shouldn't be thinking about this... Need something else to focus on… Right! His training… what fun tasks should he attempt to do today? 50km run as usual with four 10lbs weights, 500… no 550 push-ups… eh.. scratch that out… 600 seems good… with 650 sit-ups. That sounds good. He will not rest under this roof even if he _is_ the Shaman King. Wait, I'm missing something. 50km should get his endurance going… the push-ups and sit-ups will increase his strength… Now I need something to improve his flexibility… It's been a while since the yard's been cleaned out… Alright then… yard work. 

Yoh placed the last plate on the dish dryer before he wiped his hands on a clean rag beside him. He gulped in fear as he saw me standing by him, "Yes-s…?"

Smiling inside, I recited his training schedule that I just thought of a few minutes ago. His face paled within seconds. 

"Now!" I emphasized, "And don't forget to buy the groceries!" 

He nodded quickly, pulling off the hat and apron. Hanging it on the hook on the side of the counter, he kissed me on the cheek with a whisper to return soon before heading out the door.

I held my cheek as I felt my face flush a bit. Sure, Yoh and I grew closer since I arrived in Tokyo and we continued to grow even closer after the Shaman Fight where Yoh was declared the victor… but it still seemed strange to me. 

I smiled as I thought of the moment again then cursed myself for being like this. What has become of my supposed cold heart? I promised that I would never let it softened for as long as I would live ever since that day. I hardened it for the sole purpose of protecting me from the pain that exists. I may have become stoic but it seemed worth it at the time. Then Yoh came along… 

I lay down on the living room floor, slowly closing my eyes in fatigue. Luckily, no windows were present and no evil sun was near. Deciding that sleep was probably the best thing to do right now, I slowly exhaled, relaxing my tense shoulders. I'll just… doze off for a bit. Little did I know what lay ahead of me in my subconscious.

Darkness covered my vision, leaving me blind and vulnerable to the world. Where am I? I stepped forward in the pitch black view in front of me. Not the one to stand around and wait, I wandered uselessly, deprived of every of every sense I thought I had. 

"We'll be back…" A voice said in the blanket of night.

What was that? Who was that? It sounds familiar…  

"Just for a while…" The same voice spoke out.

Soon, images of my forsaken past blurred right before me. Sharpening as each second past, I closed my eyes, not wanting to remember those days. 

A nightmare…

Yes, that's what it was! But why now? Why like this? 

Suddenly, I saw the haunting moment… I froze… No… no… Three people I swore to abandon long ago… The scene played in front of me like an old monochrome movie… but this time… I wanted nothing more than to destroy this picture. 

"We're going to the store," he said with a phoney smile I would like to see burn in flames.  

"Can I come?" That was me… that was how naive I was. Stupid child… with hopeful eyes…

"No honey, the store doesn't allow children." So my mother said. 

"I'll be really quiet!" Stupid me… How foolish I was.

"I'm sorry. Just wait here until we come back… Just for a while…" 

Lies!   

Their backs turned slowly…

"Come back soon!" 

The two figures left without a goodbye. Left me without another thought. Left me alone. Left me to die. 

My eyes shot open in fear and I could feel my heart racing. I haven't had this nightmare in years… and shamans don't just dream about something out of the blue. In fact… no one does. What does this mean? I brushed off the blanket covering me and--- wait a minute... Blanket? I don't remember having a blanket anywhere near me. 

…Yoh. 

Walking towards the door I saw the weights near the bottom of the steps. He must have come back from his training and saw me asleep. At least I was screaming in terror or anything. That would cause him to be suspicious… And the last thing I want to do is to worry him with something so simple and stupid like a nightmare. 

Returning the blanket to the closet, I started towards the living room again, trying my best to keep my mind off the terrible dream. I switched on the television, hoping to find a show to focus on -- something to distract me for the time being. Flipping through uninteresting channels, I finally settled into a cooking show. 

"Now ladies and gentlemen, make sure never to leave the sauce unstirred for a long period of time. You don't want a crusty seasoning for your chicken."

I spent another few hours watching the programs that followed, picking up useful tips whenever seen or heard. I was listening to advice on barbecue grilling when I thought I sensed someone nearby. I didn't pay attention to of it, of course… but kept my mind alerted and open. 

"When outside make sure to use the grill cover to keep germs and insects away. You want your meat preferably around the medium-rare area or higher. Remember that overcooking your meat may lead to g--"

Knock. Knock. Knock.  

I gasp aloud as the main door banged loudly, echoing throughout the house. Why did I freak out? Stupid… It's just my imagination… It's probably nothing… Why would---

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

I rose to my feet in disgust. More than likely the person behind the door does not fully understand the meaning of the word patience. The knocking continued as I unhurriedly headed towards the door, preparing my long and tortuous speech for the person who has the guts to knock this many times without ever waiting in silence in between.

Sliding the door open in anger, I removed my beads around my neck and prepared to launch an attack. That is… until I saw the faces behind the door. 

I dropped my beads as I stood there, stunned beyond belief. I wanted to slam the door at them and hoped it was all a nightmare again.

The couple held their hands together as they looked at me, their eyes beginning to water.  Unfortunately I could tell it was _them_... Even if they were century old I could still make out their repulsive faces. The man and woman I knew as my mother and father… 

"Anna... You look well," the woman said with a slight smile.

"What the hell do you guys want?" I demanded. I didn't need nor want to show respect for the people who ditched me like yesterday's old newspaper. 

Their eyes widened in shock but smiled as the brunette woman replied, "I guess we deserve that. But… please hear us out. We only want to talk." 

I pointed behind them, "You may want to talk… but I have no intentions or desires to talk to you. Please leave."

They took a few steps back as I continued, "How dare you come here after all these years."

Taking a few steps forward, I looked into their eyes not bothering to hide my bearing fangs of anger and contempt. 

How could they show up here at a time like this? Did they think they would simply say 'I'm sorry' and I could forgive their mistake of leaving me? Do they now cherish my life and wish to be a part of it? Do they think they can make up for 13 years of my life without them?

"Listen to us… please. Only this one time… and if it's what you truly want… we'll leave you in peace," the tall blonde male spoke to me as if I was holding a gun to his head. 

"I have nothing to say to you," I turned my head away in agony. 

"But… we have something we would like to say to you. Please hear us out… just his once," he pleaded. 

"Anna!" 

I looked up ahead of me and saw Yoh running closer, carrying a bag of groceries. "Yoh…"

"What's going on?" he asked as he saw us together, in the midst of a disagreement. He looked over at the standing pair and knew almost as well as I did, who they were. Yoh moved quickly ahead of me and wedged himself between my parents and I. Ugh… I don't want to use that word again. 

With a serious and unexpected tone that shocked me, Yoh growled, "Leave. Now." His arm rose as if to protect me from incoming strikes. Even I didn't know… what had gotten into him.

"We only want to talk," the man raised his hands, "We promise to leave after. We… just feel that… we at least owe a word of apology and a reason… Please! Only for a moment." 

The look in Yoh's eyes seemed more serious than when in fighting shaman battles. A part of me wondered what such reason would lead them to the conclusion that dumping your child on the streets is for the best. What did it matter? 

…13 years of my life… 

I was 16 now… and I was happy living with Yoh. They can't take that away from me by asking me to go back with them… they had no such right of commanding me around if they weren't even there during the majority of my life.

…Why did they do it?

Damn the curiosity that exists within me… Why do I care? They did it right? They even lied about it… Why should I hear them out? Why should I care? 

"Please…" the woman begs. 

I lowered my head as I cursed myself again for even considering hearing them out. I could see Yoh's shoulders tensed as he continued to act as a shield. If the people in front of me weren't related to me by blood… or if I knew how to react to all this, I would probably push Yoh aside. I don't need to be protected… but… I knew that Yoh wasn't trying to physically… protect me from pain… but emotionally… shield me. He's the second person to know about my past and even then… his knowledge of it wasn't in complete detail. 

"Hear us out… just this once," she pleas once more. 

I reach out and touch Yoh's back, mentally telling him that it was okay. His shoulders loosened when my palms made contact with it. 

Yoh sighed and whispered to me, "Is this… what you really want..?" 

I nodded slowly, myself not even willing to believe that I was letting this happen. I walked past Yoh so that I was in front of my parents. 

"We'll go inside. And then you will say what you came here to say. Then you will leave here as soon as possible… and you won't come back. Ever." 

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As always, Reviews/Comments/Flames/Constructive-ism/Everything/Anything is always accepted and greatly appreciated. 


	2. Regrets

**Disclaimer:** Shaman King, as usually and always, is not owned by yours truly.

**Author Notes:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed this little ficcy and thank you for reading up to this far in the fic. For this chapter, don't hold any expectations! 

**Warnings:** **OOC**, as it is written in **Anna's POV**… And in my humbly useless opinion, is the hardest point of view to write from. **Rushed**… A lot of **dialogue**… I tried to minimize it… but it's hard since there's a lot of… explaining to do **

Uneventful Return, Ch. 2 

**

**~~~**

Yoh held my hand tightly as he followed me into the house. I could see his face didn't approve of this encounter, which was quite odd… since he usually… approved of anyone and everyone within seconds. He stared blankly at the two behind him. If he had something to say right then and there, he didn't. He bit his lip, probably trying to swallow the unexpectedly gloomy atmosphere.

"We know this is a little… awkward," the man spoke with a slight chuckle. Oh my! Give the man a pat on the back! He's finally figured out what Yoh and I were feeling ever since their faces appeared. Besides… it's BEYOND awkward. Awkward is an understatement that doesn't even compare to what this meeting has been. 

"We know that… our arrival has been… somewhat of a bomb dropping. What I mean is -- if you have any questions… Don't hesitate?" 

As a response, I glared at him, hinting that the only question I had in mind was: When will you two leave?

I guess they saw the question in my eyes because they started explaning right away, "We thought about you everyday. We always wonder what our little girl was doing, how she would grow up to be, what she would be like, what friends she had made, what kind of life you led… We always… regretted… that day," the brown haired woman spoke as her voice broke. 

Now that's a laugh… isn't that typical? That they regret it -- only after they did it… And what does that show? That they didn't think before doing it. Which tells me that they ditched me without a second thought. Still, I found myself asked, "Why did you do it then? Afraid of the powers I possessed? Afraid of the destruction I could do? Afraid of the threat I may pose? What?" 

She answered slowly, "After learning that you had the ability to see spirits… we didn't know what to do. We couldn't tell you that spirits didn't exist when you could see them with your own eyes nor could we tell you that spirits and humans were the same… When they weren't."

"People… began to talk about your powers," the tall man started again, "Vulgar names were called and we didn't know how much we could take it anymore. We didn't want our daughter to be labelled as some kind of demon that only deserved death."

I bit my lip in frustration. I remember the times where I could still hear the names called ringing in my head. They wanted me dead… because of a power I didn't want to have back then. Preoccupied with my own thoughts, I didn't see Yoh behind me, tightening his fists until his knuckles turned white.

The brunette took a step forward as she looked into my eyes, "You don't have to believe us when we say that… we wanted the best for you. Now… we realize that we should have stayed by you… till the very end. But at that time, we didn't want you to live in a world where people could kill you at any time. What parents could have their own daughter living in fear? We… left you, in hopes that… you could find happiness elsewhere. We heard… of Asakura Kino and her skills and we thought that… perhaps she could train you, so at least you could fend for yourself. By the looks of it, we were right to leave you in her hands." 

_Translation: "We were right to leave you." _

"Why didn't we move?" I asked, suddenly aware of the hidden interest in me. 

Tears began to form and fall from the woman's eyes. The man whispered to her, "It's ok. I'll take it from here."

He held her weeping figure in his arms, as he spoke quietly, "We didn't want to risk another situation like the other one. People would have figured out and then the only life you would lead is constant escape from others. Always running… always on the move… We wanted you to lead a stable life… even if it wasn't a normal life." 

"So… you left me at a store, made me believe and hope in your return and let Kino-sensei pick me up? ...Just like that?" 

"We hoped that you would understand some day. That was part of the reason we came back… to see maybe… if there was a chance that we could… slowly come back into your life again. We know the chances of that are… slim to none… but we didn't want to lose all hope," he said as he looked towards the floor. 

I knew it. Now to help ease their guilty consciences they ask for forgiveness and now they WANT to be a part of my life. "You guys didn't bother to show up then… why now?" 

"There was really… never a perfect time where we could just come in and… tell you all this. We just thought that since you're 17 now… maybe you could have understood all of this more."

"How did you know where to find me?" 

The man was about to reply when the woman shook her head. She smiled wryly as she responded, "We… searched for weeks to find anything that might have led us to you. Schools, phone books, newspapers… anything. But we found nothing. After a while we tried searching for Asakura-san instead… hoping that maybe she may have kept in touch with you throughout the years. We were about to let it go… when we found someone who knew her. After a visit, she told us of your whereabouts and---"

Yoh and I looked up at her. Kino-sensei would never do that! She wouldn't have told them… it couldn't be. There has to be a reason… There has to be... I shouldn't jump into conclusions.

"What? She told you?" 

"She didn't want to tell us at first. We begged and begged… we had to prove ourselves first… We had to sit and wait at her doorstep for over a week so she was convinced that we were serious about rebuilding our relationship with you… And after that we had undergo some sort of strange training and then we were under an intense interrogation. The whole thing lasted for almost a month."

Now that was the Kino-sensei I knew. She would never hand over things without reasoning or evidential proof. Although I still felt a sense of betrayal… my parents… I guess… are really… willing to work this out.

"We really want to be a part of your life. We've already missed half of the years where you've grown to become a teenager… we don't want to miss the years where you further grow to become a woman. We've made the mistake… of leaving you once… and look how much you've grown…" the brunette brushed away her tears as she went on, "If we had the ability to go back in time and relive life… we would have chosen that day and just moved away instead of leaving you there." 

My head lowered as the floor suddenly became the sight of interest. If we would have moved… I would have never met… Yoh. From the corner of my eye, I could see his face facing towards the ground, much like the way I was. "I'm not sure… that I would have wanted to move… at all." 

They were taken back a little as I explained why, "It's funny how a bad situation can come out just the opposite. If you hadn't left me there… If I weren't trained under Kino-sensei… then I never would have met…the boy I love." 

I smiled lightly as I turned to see Yoh looking up. My parents were shocked, probably still confused on who he is and how I met him. I guess we have to go through the introductions before they start asking questions.

"That guy over there…" I pointed without looking, "…Is my future husband. Asakura Yoh… Kino-sensei's grandson."

"Husband?!?!" They both exclaimed aloud simultaneously. I always wanted to laugh when I see the expression on people's faces when they learn that Yoh and I are engaged. 

"We knew Kino would take you under her wing and raise you… but to set up wedding engagements… that was unexpected…" the blond man chuckled in disbelief.

"She did the right thing… Yoh and I couldn't be happier with one another. Right, Yoh?" I glanced at him as he began to walk towards us. 

"Right." He slipped an arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. 

"We live together in this former inn." I proudly replied as I leaned against his shoulder. 

In turn, they smiled at us. "We're just glad to see you happy. We're still not proud of our decision, but if it led to your meeting with Yoh-kun," she drifted off.

"It's a complex situation. To be honest… I don't know how to respond to your abrupt meeting. Even if your intentions are as pure as you say they are… I can't help but feel that I have to put a shield around myself whenever I think about what you've done. What you did… has really impacted my life… Even though someone good came out of it… I can't neglect the fact that you've abandoned me."

Yoh squeezed my hand in comfort. It was his way of saying, "I'm here.." And I thank God for that…

Slowly… my mother spoke in response, "We understand that… we knew bringing this on to you so unexpectedly would be hard. We're already grateful that you decided to hear us out. We want a second chance -- to be your parents. And even though we might not get it… It was… wonderful to see you again… all grown up."

Yes… I finally refer her as my mother… Don't get me wrong… I haven't forgiven them, and no I don't feel any gratitude towards them. They may have brought the boy I love in my life… but they also gave me the greatest obstacle in life. When people feel emotional pain, automatically they become protective of themselves, closing themselves from the world and from others. When the pain grows, so does their withdrawal in society. You can probably only imagine how much pain I felt during that time in my life. 

Luckily, I met Yoh and gradually… he helped me open up again. He never gave up, never stopped and never doubted that one day I could be freed from the shields that bound me.

Will I give my parents a second chance? 

"Right now… all I can say is… I'm not ready to start… seeing you two again. Perhaps in time… but right now… it's too soon. I can't do it and I don't when I can."

I appreciate… that they *tried* to mend things between us. Ha! Can you imagine that? The words appreciate and my parents in the same sentence. I hate this yearning feeling inside me… always wondering what it was like to grow up with parents…. Wondering what it was like to say, 'Mom' or 'Dad'. It was stupid really… even more stupid that I can't help feeling this way. Without that emotion… more than likely, I wouldn't have even tried to listen to what they had to say. 

After I said those words, they nodded as they showed themselves towards the door. All of us knew nothing they could have said would ever change my mind. My father gave us a piece of paper, telling us where and how to reach them. They didn't seem to live too far away, after all they did live in the city. A train-ride away… I guess. 

"We know these words probably don't mean anything to you… but we feel we should at least say them to you," my father said as he slid open the main door, "We never stopped loving you, Anna. What we did then… what we're doing now… We always tried to keep your best interests in mind and in heart. We know that doing that in the past wasn't the most… 'parent-like' way of solving things. We only thought of a way to a better life you could have led." 

I looked away, feeling the words slip away from me, "I know." 

**~~~**

Hours later, Yoh and I were getting ready for bed. Yoh plopped down on the futon with his arms and leg spread out. 

"It's been a tiring day," he said when I looked at him suspiciously. 

I smiled as I headed down to curl up beside him. Once I was on the futon, he pulled me down on top of him, hugging me tightly. 

I rose up slightly so I could talk to him face to face. "What's wrong? You've been acting all edgy since my parents got here." 

"It's nothing." His hand softly caressing my cheek as he replied, "Can't I hug my beautiful fiancée anymore?" 

"You know that's not it. Do you honestly believe that I'll let this go?" 

"Alright… It's just that… even though they're your parents and even if they really want to be a part of your life again-- Well… I just don't want to see you hurt anymore."

"Is that what your worried about? I can take care of myself…" 

"I know… but… I just feel that… I have to sort of… protect you. I mean… you've been working so hard on opening up again. I hate to see you closing up once more. What kind of husband would I be if I just stood aside and watched his wife getting hurt again by the same people?"

"…Yoh…" 

This is the first time I heard him referring us as already being married. I knew from the look in his eyes that he was serious. 

"It's ok," I reassured him, "That's why we're taking this slow remember? I still haven't forgiven them… but letting them go without a second chance to repent and try to make amends just doesn't seem right either."

"Whoa... hold it. You're starting to sound more like me and less of yourself," Yoh interrupted with a weird look marked on his features. 

"Is that a bad thing? You are my soon-to-be-husband after all. Besides, you are a positive influence in my life. I probably wouldn't have even heard them out if it wasn't for you," I brushed his hair away from his face. 

"Me? But I didn't really think talking to them was a good idea in the first place." 

"Well, if they weren't my parents… you would have listened to them… And besides.. You were only looking out for me… which did I mention is a very sweet and thoughtful idea?" 

"No. Do I get anything out of it?" he hinted subtly.

I nodded slowly as I lowered my head towards his. "Maybe…" I answered when we were inches apart. "Maybe not…"

Yoh grinned as he muttered a "Come here." He slipped his arm around my body and gently rolled me towards the futon. Closing the space between us, he brushed his lips softly over mine before embracing it in a passionate kiss.

Maybe in time I could forgive them, but right now all I want to do is live in the present without having to think about that moment in my life. 


End file.
